Middle East studies expert Dr. David Bukay of the University of Haifa ridicules intelligence experts trying to downplay the danger posed by the extremist group Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS), which has captured large swathes of Iraq and Syria in recent months.

Speaking to Arutz Sheva, Bukay explained "today they have nearly 20,000 fighters; it's a contagious phenomenon, they cast fear and dread and many join them."

"There's no clear strategy against them," added Bukay, noting on US President Barack Obama's statements last Thursday that he has "no strategy" to combat IS in Syria.

Bukay argued that the world must understand the war today must not be against this or that terror group, but against extremist Islam as an ideology.

"Islam is an existential threat, and if in the past they declared war on the Nazis and afterwards on Communism, today they must declare war on Islam and not necessarily on terror. You're fighting an ideology here that speaks about conquering the world and killing infidels, that's a religious war by all means," argued the expert.

"IS published a map of all the next countries in line, including India, China, Africa and the Middle East," continued Bukay. "Today they are functioning in areas where there is a governmental vacuum, like Iraq and Syria, but them are also functioning in Lebanon and approaching Jordan."

It is worth noting that at least one Jordanian Muslim scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Adwan, has sharply criticized Islamic fundamentalism, saying in March "there are classes in Islam which claim that the Koran seeks to abolish the Torah and Bible. There is no truth to that. ...Allah chose to call this land 'Israel' and not 'Palestine.' The term 'Palestine' does not appear in the Koran either."

Adwan said "Palestinians" were "the killers of children, the elderly and women. ...This is their habit and custom, their viciousness, their having hearts of stones towards their children, and their lying to public opinion, in order to get its support."

Regarding the IS threat in Israel, General Security Services reported on Friday that at least ten Arab citizens of Israel have joined IS and are taking part in the fighting in Syria and Iraq, reports Yisrael Hayom.

Likewise Arab reports indicated that a Syrian-born IS terrorist was killed in Gaza during the fighting against Israel in Operation Protective Edge, showing how the threat of IS is encroaching on Israel.